India’s Sanju Samson played a match-defining knock in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 Semi-final against England at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday, March 5, but the wicketkeeper-batter humbly credited Jasprit Bumrah for the victory after being named Player of the Match.
Samson scored a brilliant 89 off 42 balls, powering India to a massive 253/7 in 20 overs, the highest total in a T20 World Cup knockout match. His aggressive innings laid the foundation for India’s narrow 7-run victory, sending the team into the final where they will face New Zealand.
Speaking after the match, Samson said he felt confident coming into the semi-final after finding form in the previous game and knew he had to make the most of the opportunity in such an important contest.
“Feels really great. I knew I had some form from the last game, so I thought I needed to continue. It’s not easy to find form in crucial games for your country, so I wanted to make the most of it,” Samson said.
He explained that the Wankhede pitch demanded attacking batting because even very high scores can be chased down at the venue.
“Playing in Wankhede, we know that no score is stoppable here. Even 250 looked chaseable. So I just wanted to get as many runs as possible,” he added.
Samson–Kishan partnership powers India
India lost Abhishek Sharma early, but Samson and Ishan Kishan built a strong partnership to accelerate the scoring. Their attacking approach helped India cross the 250-run mark with valuable contributions later from Shivam Dube (43) along with late cameos from Tilak Varma and Hardik Pandya.
England’s brave chase
England came extremely close to pulling off the massive chase, finishing at 246/7 in 20 overs. The highlight of their innings was Jacob Bethell’s spectacular 105 off 48 balls, which kept England in the hunt until the final overs.
However, India’s bowlers held their nerve in the closing stages.
Samson credits Bumrah for victory
Despite winning the Player of the Match award, Samson said the credit should actually go to Jasprit Bumrah, whose tight death bowling proved decisive in defending the target.
“All credit goes to Jasprit Bumrah, the world-class bowler, once-in-a-generation bowler. This award should go to him actually. If we didn’t bowl that way in the death overs, I wouldn’t be standing here,” Samson said.
Bumrah finished with 2/33, while Hardik Pandya picked up crucial wickets during the death overs to halt England’s momentum.
Wankhede crowd adds to the spectacle
Samson also praised the atmosphere at the Wankhede Stadium, calling it an unforgettable experience to play such an important match in front of a packed crowd.
“It’s an unbelievable feeling to play in Wankhede right from childhood. The way people support both teams shows they are true lovers of cricket,” he said.
With the dramatic victory, India advance to the final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, keeping their hopes alive for the title after a thrilling semi-final encounter.